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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25748026">Above Me</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/RomeoandAntoinette/pseuds/RomeoandAntoinette'>RomeoandAntoinette</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>AKA a maid has a crush on Flora, Background Relationships, Confessions, Eavesdropping, F/M, Introspection, Post-Canon, Post-Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 03:28:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,956</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25748026</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/RomeoandAntoinette/pseuds/RomeoandAntoinette</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jakob has loved his liege Corrin since the day she saved him from being thrown onto the streets. He reveres her, respects her, and adores her. However, she's a princess. A queen. An unreachable star in the sky. They will always be unequal, in his eyes. While he believes he is unworthy to belong in the life of someone that's so above him, Corrin couldn't disagree more. [Jakob/Corrin][Post-Revelations Route]</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Joker | Jakob/My Unit | Kamui | Corrin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Above Me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>A few weeks have passed since launch, and I’m absolutely thrilled to present my official piece for the Devoted Servant: A Fire Emblem Fates Jakob Fanzine! </p><p>All purchase proceeds go toward the <a href="https://blacktrans.org/">Black Trans Advocacy Coalition. </a><br/>They’re a social justice organization that is still actively deploying resources to black transgender people across the United States. Please consider donating to this amazing cause.</p><p>For everyone who has purchased the zine already, thank you so much! For those that are still interested, <a href="https://gumroad.com/devotedservantz">click here</a> to visit the zine's official page on Gumroad.</p><p>Enjoy the story!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A deafening crash boomed like thunder through the banquet hall.</p><p>The sound turned the heads of all the celebration’s participants in an instant. A sea of heads, some perfectly coiffed and others slicked to shiny perfection, turned every which way to try and pinpoint the source of the crash.</p><p>The noise, as loud as the sound of a bone snapping in two, had been enough to even disrupt the orchestral ensemble that had taken to the ballroom’s stage area earlier in the evening.</p><p>Corrin, who had been trying desperately to mingle guests and feign social competence when all she longed to do was escape to her office to attend to Valla’s growing stack of royal affairs, was even startled by the sound. Years on the battlefield had hardened the princess into a warrior, but even she was jarred by the noise.</p><p>“What was that?” Princess Sakura, dressed in layers of blush-pink and red, asked from a few feet away. The young lady had been dancing merrily with Elise, Corrin’s other sister.</p><p>The blonde, donned in pounds of lace and what had to be no less than 100 yards of velvet ribbon, pointed to the back doors of the ballroom that led to the staging area and kitchen. A few servants were standing around and looking at the door with expressions that ranged from alarm to confusion. Flora, who had just emerged from the back room, looked over her shoulder for a moment before sighing deeply. She’d just emerged with a freshened platter of beverages, which were quickly vanishing despite the loud interruption.</p><p>“It sounds like it came from back there,” Elise suggested. “Wow, that was loud.”</p><p>Her red-haired companion nodded fretfully.</p><p>“I hope everyone is okay,” Sakura added worriedly. Corrin noticed that she reflexively reached for the healing staff she’d kept tucked to her side during their many battles before remembering she was currently unadorned with any weapons due to the occasion.</p><p>Corrin sat down her goblet of lemony wine on a nearby banister and offered her siblings a smile.</p><p>“I’ll go see what happened,” she said. “You both stay here and…keep things lively.”</p><p>Elise saluted her sister and, before Sakura could insist otherwise, the blonde pushed her companion back into the crowd of dancers and called for the ‘maestro’ to strike up a cheery tune.</p><p>The music swelled up again as Corrin padded away from the ballroom and slinked through the back door to the servants’ staging area.</p><p>The queen found herself in a messy kitchen filled with the sweet smells of baked goods and spices. While the tables were lined with trays of desserts for servants to take back to the crowds of hungry visitors, she saw no carnage.</p><p>She also saw a lack of people.</p><p>“Is anyone back here?” she whisper-shouted. “Hey? Anyone here? Jakob?”</p><p>The queen tiptoed through the kitchen area. Thanks to her choice to don a ceremonial jacket and tapered trousers in lieu of a crinkly ballgown for the evening’s festivities, she was able to steal through the space as quietly as a mouse. The occasional tap of her boots wasn’t enough to alert any nearby servants or lurkers of her presence.</p><p>As she drew closer to the back door of the kitchen, she heard a faint noise coming from the other side. Then, she heard a more conversational voice. It sounded as if someone was crying and being consoled by another.</p><p>While Corrin was unable to recognize the whimpering, the other voice was one she never could have mistaken for anyone else’s. It was a voice she had known since childhood.</p><p>Her brow pinched in concern.<em> “Jakob?”</em></p><p>Moving as slow as molasses, Corrin gingerly turned the doorknob and gave the lightest push. The force was just enough to crack the door without causing the hinges to squeak.</p><p>Just beyond the door was a stone staircase that spiral to the floors above. The passage was commonly used by maids and butler needing to travel between the palace’s many floors discreetly and without being bothered by noble visitors.</p><p>It also served as a very echoey chamber for the two people having a conversation.</p><p>She pressed her ear against the crack and listened.</p><hr/><p>“I’m so, so sorry,” the maid continued to cry. The woman’s hands balled the edge of her apron into her fists so she could use the cloth as a makeshift tissue.</p><p>“Now, now,” Jakob said. His voice was stern but kind. “Don’t use your uniform for that! The launderer will have a fit if they see. Here.”</p><p>He reached into the breast pocket of his jacket and brandished a light blue handkerchief. The fabric was embroidered with bright yellow daisies.</p><p>She accepted the material and blotted her eyes. After blowing her nose loudly, her mouth buckled into a frown. “Sorry. I’ll clean it and return it.”</p><p>At this, Jakob smiled and shook his head. “Please keep it. I assume you don’t have one, correct?”</p><p>She shook her head sheepishly.</p><p>“Then there you go,” Jakob said. “I have plenty, I assure you.”</p><p>As the maid continued to discreetly scrub her eyes and face, Jakob leaned against the nearby wall and turned his gaze skyward.</p><p>The corridor that two servants were chatting in was one of the palace’s main connectors. As such, it was decorated with fine furniture and ornate molding. However, the standout piece was the hall’s ceiling, which was arched and featured a floral mural crafted completely with stained glass.</p><p>The artwork showed a cascading field of white peonies and pink roses, both tangled together in a seemingly inseparable web.</p><p>The dazzling work had been a joint gift to the palace from Xander and Ryoma, who had commissioned the handcrafted work to serve as a visual representation of the newfound peace between the kingdoms of Hoshido and Nohr.</p><p>But that wasn’t how Jakob saw the piece.</p><p>Instead, the flowers above him reminded Jakob of the first time he’d arrived in Valla. Or, more accurately, the first time he tumbled into Valla.</p><p>Back when the turbulence between the dueling kingdoms was at an all-time high, Corrin had turned from a princess to a refugee overnight. Of course, Jakob remained devoutly at her side the entire time. He aided her in battle and helped heal her wounds after the two were forced to fight waves of enemy soldiers during their escape from the battlefield.</p><p>Upon learning of the existence of Valla from her cousin Azura, Corrin could not be dissuaded from wanting to travel to the elusive kingdom as soon as possible.</p><p>Even when she was informed that the kingdom was at the supposed bottom of the aptly named Bottomless Canyon, Corrin still hadn’t hesitated. Her trust had been as unyielding as her enthusiasm.</p><p>To the disbelief of many, Jakob hadn’t deserted her there.</p><p>To the disbelief of virtually everyone, he’d then jumped off the edge of the Bottomless Canyon’s cliffs at his master’s beck and call. After a brief plunge through the darkness, a lush green field had materialized over his head.</p><p>By the time gravity had corrected his position, the butler found himself tumbling into a field of wildflowers. He found his liege laying several feet away, dizzy but unharmed.</p><p>That experience had been his very first introduction to the kingdom of Valla. While it had certainly been bizarre, it was certainly better than his childhood experiences growing up on Nohr.</p><p> “How did you do it?”</p><p>Jakob averted his gaze from the flowers and back to Earth. The maid was staring at him inquisitively. It took him a moment to realize that she was referring to.</p><p>“How did I clean up the glass?” Jakob inquired.</p><p>“Yes,” the maid verified. When she nodded, her chignon bounced at the base of her neck. “It all happened so fast. By the time I realized I slipped and dropped everything, you’d already cleaned it all up!”</p><p>He stared back at her.</p><p>“Well, yes,” Jakob said with a shrug. “That’s my job.”</p><p>She narrowed her gaze at him cautiously. Perhaps his bluntness had come across as sarcasm to her.</p><p>“But how did you do it?” she repeated. The woman sounded borderline doubtful, as if she was entertaining the fact that she’d possibly dreamed the entire sequence. It didn’t seem humanly possible how quickly he’d disposed of the glass and then whisked her away to the secluded corridor. Once more, she noticed he was completely devoid of scratches or ashes that would result from a hasty clean-up.</p><p>The realization caused Jakob to hum in sudden understanding. “Oh, I see, that’s what you mean. I’m sorry to be a bore, but the answer isn’t interesting. If something needs to be done, I just do it.”</p><p>The maid became downtrodden. “I see. So, it’s a natural talent of yours. I’m sure you’ve been good at cleaning since you were little.”</p><p>The man shot her a sideways glance. “Now, that is something I’ll object to.”</p><p>When her head snapped toward him, he nodded in affirmation.</p><p>“It took many, <em>many</em> years of practice for me to get where I am now,” he told her.</p><p>The maid was wide-eyed with disbelief. “Years of practice? For you?”</p><p>Jakob began to tap his heeled boot against the floor to funnel his anxiety. Talking to others, especially about himself, wasn’t one of his strengths.</p><p>“I was an abysmal butler when I first came here,” Jakob told her candidly. “To be frank, I was so horrible at everything I tried to do that they nearly tossed me onto the streets. I created much more trouble than I was worth. I didn’t know how to scrub stains out of laundry. Every loaf of bread I tried to make was like paste. I burned my fingers making candles. And – of course – I broke many dishes.”</p><p>She took the comment with a smile and let out a light laugh. It was the first time she could even recall smiling at all in Jakob’s presence. Usually, his austere professionalism made him borderline unapproachable, even for the other servants. However, as he slowly let his guard down, she was finding that the person beneath his cold shell was quite kind and amicable.</p><p>By now, the maid was leaning against the wall beside him. “But you seem so…put-together. It’s hard to picture you doing anything wrong.”</p><p>This declaration elicited a laugh from the butler.</p><p>“Picture a very young, stubborn boy who came from a royal family and didn’t know how to do anything,” Jakob told her as he rolled his head back to stare at the ceiling overhead. The kaleidoscope overhead sent a spattering of colors up and down the halls.</p><p>His casual mention of arriving at the fortress as a young boy hadn’t evaded her attention. However, she remained respectfully silent. She had nothing to add in response to such a melancholy statement.</p><p>“I grew up in the outskirts of Nohr,” he explained hollowly. Tap, tap. “My parents were nobles that squandered their fortunes, and as such, we had a large house with nothing in it. I never had anything to do, including chores. I was also very young when they abandoned me. I could walk and talk, but I couldn’t read. I didn’t know how to do any physical labor either.”</p><p>The young woman gripped her hands tightly behind her back. “Do you remember anything about your parents?”</p><p>“No.” His reply was toneless.</p><p>The heaviness of the word led her to drop the question immediately.</p><p>As she floundered to find a new topic of discussion, she started playing with the wrinkled edges of her apron again.</p><p>“Um…you said you were almost thrown onto the streets,” the maid said, risking a glance back at him. “So, what happened?”</p><p>“Lady Corrin happened,” he said simply.</p><p>No frivolities. No gallivanting around the subject matter. No room for discussion or debate. His answer was as clear as crystal and spoken with definitive absolution rather than the obedient agreeability she always heard Jakob speak with.</p><p>Slowly, she watched as he extended a long arm toward the kaleidoscope of glass overhead.</p><p>There, just beyond the thin rainbow veneer, was a star shining in the dark sky.</p><p>“Corrin was…no, Corrin is different,” Jakob muttered, his hushed tone vulnerable but still defensive. “On the night that the staff wanted to throw me out, she came to my rescue. She grabbed me by the arm and said that I was her best friend. Then, she pulled me up the stairs to her room. Of course, she was the princess, so nobody could challenge her.”</p><p>Happiness bubbled in the maid like champagne bubbles. “Wow. So, I guess there was no room for argument, huh?”</p><p>“Exactly,” Jakob said, lips curving into a smile. “The matter was dropped, and at that moment, I vowed to dedicate the rest of my life to making Corrin happy.”</p><p>The sentiment was unyielding in emotion, but his tone said everything his words didn’t. Even his lavender eyes seemed to smile at the mere sound of her name on his tongue.</p><p>The maid didn’t dare comment on how Jakob had dropped the lady’s royal title.</p><p>“You two seem close,” she commented as she sank to the ground and drew her knees to her chest.</p><p>He nodded and followed suit.</p><p>Instead of closing his hands around the star, he kept his palm exposed as his fingers outstretched. Always reaching, never touching.</p><p>“She saved my life,” he said. “Of course, she’s very important to me.”</p><p>“Is that all?” the maid asked.</p><p>A beat of silence chased her question.</p><p>“You know,” he posed, moments later, “You and I don’t know each other very well, but I fancy myself as being quite informed of everyone’s capabilities. I’ve never known you as one to be so clumsy with dishes.”</p><p>The young woman bristled like a surprised cat.</p><p>“Did something fluster you?” Jakob added, pressing further. “You know, I noticed that Flora had exited the kitchen right before the little … incident.”</p><p>She tried in vain to hide the raspberry-colored blush that spread across her cheeks. As she pressed her warmed face to her knees, Jakob chuckled.</p><p>“Ah, I see,” he cooed. “I can understand that. Flora is quite a wonderful person. Strong, but kind to others.”</p><p>“She’s very beautiful,” the maid murmured timidly.</p><p>“Yes, she’s quite beautiful,” Jakob agreed. “Tell me, why don’t you tell her how you feel? It can’t be healthy for you, or the fortress’s china collection, to keep your feelings hidden.”</p><p>At this, she lifted a hand and gently slapped his shoulder. He only laughed harder at her reaction.</p><p>“You’re a hypocrite,” the maid chided. “You know it isn’t that simple. Here you are, telling me to confess my feelings, but you haven’t told Lady Corrin how you feel either.”</p><p>At this, he nodded guiltily.</p><p>“Because yours is a relationship that can bloom,” he argued. Now, there was a touch of sadness in his eyes. “Corrin is a princess. She is duty-bound, as I am.”</p><p>“But…”</p><p>“My feelings for her, my<em> love</em> for her…is irrelevant,” he said with a shake of his head. The words tumbled from his mouth like heavy stones rolling down a riverbed. “Lady Corrin is not just my liege. She is Valla’s queen. She now carries the weight of an entire kingdom on her shoulders. I’ll stand by her side until my dying day, and I’d be honored if she shared the weight of that burden with me, but that is not a decision I can make.”</p><p>The maid clasped her hands close to her heart. Perhaps it was an automatic reaction to his melancholy statement, or perhaps it was a sign of solidarity. If she held her own heart together, perhaps it could mend the pieces of his broken one.</p><p>“Jakob, I don’t believe that,” she challenged, her teary eyes filling with fire. “You’ve had such a hard life, and Lady Corrin knows that.”</p><p>“That doesn’t mean she owes me anything in return,” he said. He pushed himself away from the wall and drifted toward the center of the hall, his eyes still cast skyward. His pupils remained focused on the star, still glowing proudly over their heads. “All I want and desire in life is to see Corrin happy. She saved my life, and now, I’ll do anything I can to protect hers. How she wants me to do that is her prerogative.”</p><p>His posture was proud and taut as a harp. However, when she glimpsed his face, she saw nothing but resignation reflected there. There was a hopeless aura that surrounded him like a haze. Despite everything he wanted being just out of reach, he continued to hold his head high and filled his head with prideful illusions to bolster himself.</p><p>Undeterred by his response, she approached Jakob and reached out to lay a hand across his back. As she smoothed her fingers across the tense muscles in his back, the woman struggled to find the right words that would provide him some hope.</p><p>However, she was at a complete loss for words. There was nothing she could say, yet she longed so deeply to console him somehow.</p><p>“Jakob…”</p><p>When he faced her again, his smile was papery.</p><p>“Tell Flora of your feelings,” Jakob said tenderly. “Next time we talk, I hope to see tears of joy in your eyes instead.”</p><p>The man stepped away from her touch as deftly as a cat. Then, with a bow that seemed to dip deeper than what protocol dictated, he padded down the corridor to return to the kitchen.</p><p>All the while, the star watched him from beyond the window.</p><hr/><p>Jakob’s words had rendered Corrin so speechless that she didn’t register the sound of his nearing footsteps until it was practically too late.</p><p>She immediately scurried away from the cracked door and looked around desperately for an escape. When it became clear that she couldn’t reach the door to the ballroom fast enough, she resigned herself to quickly ducking behind the counter on the other side of the kitchen.</p><p>As Jakob entered the room, he noticed the very tip of her pale head peeking out from behind the counter. The sound of hurried footsteps had also captured his attention.</p><p>He ventured toward the mysterious figure tentatively.</p><p>“Lady Corrin?” Jakob asked. He strained the muscles in his neck to peer over the edge of the counter. “Um. I can see you.”</p><p>The woman popped up from the other side of the counter. “Yes! Um. Hello, Jakob.”</p><p>As if his confession before hadn’t reddened her cheeks enough, the adrenaline from rushing to find a hiding spot (and failing) had rendered her breathless.</p><p>He lifted a brow at her inquisitively.</p><p>“What are you doing here?” he asked. “And…are you okay? You appear flustered.”</p><p>Corrin tried to laugh off the suggestion, but the sound she emitted sounded more like a witch’s cackle than a casual laugh. “I’m fine! I just…haven’t seen you all evening, so I thought you might be back here.”</p><p>The man’s eyes turned up slightly. “You were looking for me?”</p><p>Corrin nodded sheepishly as she raked her hands through her pale hair. “Yes! And, well…there was a pretty loud crash too. I came back here to see what that was.”</p><p>His shoulders slumped as he tilted his head back and sighed. “Ah, I see. You mustn’t worry. The mess has been cleaned up and attended to. I’m sorry to have disrupted you. Please return to the festivities.”</p><p>Just as he was about to dash to another part of the kitchen, no doubt to grab more refreshments for the crowd of royal attendees, Corrin stopped him by hooking a hand around his elbow. The gesture caused him to immediately halt and veer toward her.</p><p>“Jakob, wait!” she gasped, voice rising for a moment before returning to its normal volume. “I did come looking for you! I … have a request.”</p><p>The statement captivated his attention. “A request? That’s unusual for you. Usually, it’s like pulling teeth to get you to tell me how I can help you. I swear, sometimes you’re even more stubborn than I am when it comes to sharing the workload around here.”</p><p>“Well,” she huffed, feigning irritation to mask the fact that his statement was correct, “This isn’t a work request! It’s a personal one.”</p><p>The young woman avoided his curious eyes as she shifted from foot to foot anxiously. When she finally did raise her head, she flashed him a dazzling smile that put all the stars in the heavens to shame.</p><p>“Would you please dance with me?”</p><p>Jakob was so stunned by the question that his body must have swayed at least an inch backward. When he collected himself, the man cleared his throat and said, “Lady Corrin, I … would love to grant your request, but I’m not sure it would be proper of me to do so.”</p><p>Again, he was correct. In the kingdoms of Hoshido or Nohr, it would have been quite taboo for a royal to share a dance with their retainer. Even if the two had known each other since childhood and trusted each other with their very lives, the class system in place openly stated that such conduct was inappropriate.</p><p>Thankfully, this was not Nohr or Hoshido.</p><p>This was Valla.</p><p>“Please, I’m so tired of drinking wine and pretending to socialize,” she admitted.</p><p>Then, slowly, she extended an open hand toward him. It was a gentle, but clear, invitation. “Please rescue me.”</p><p>Those words were all he needed to hear.</p><p>With a deftness that couldn’t mask his enthusiasm, he slipped his hand into hers.</p><p>The butler’s brain raced to try and find the perfect, graceful answer to her question before ultimately realizing there was one word that would suffice.</p><p>“Yes,” he whispered.</p><p>The word hung in the air for a moment while Corrin gazed at him questioningly. The utterance had been so quiet that she’d almost missed it.</p><p>“Yes?” she parroted hopefully.</p><p>“Yes … it would be my honor,” he confessed.</p><p>Corrin’s heart roared in her chest as she squeezed his hand in hers and pulled him through the door.</p><p>Finally, after spending over two decades together, surviving a war, and living through multiple bloody bouts to reclaim a lost kingdom, Corrin and Jakob could finally share their first dance.</p><p>For the first time in what both realized had been far too long, the duo took a public stance as equals before a bustling audience of wealthy socialites from all three kingdoms. It certainly didn’t help that the slow, romantic tone of the waltz put the couple front and center before an entire audience of onlookers.</p><p>Many heads turned. Elise, somewhere in the room, whooped loudly in only to be immediately silenced by having a cupcake shoved into her mouth by Sakura.</p><p>While some wore pinched frowns and scoffed in disagreement, others simply joined in the dance. To Corrin’s delight, many were completely undeterred by the ‘unconventional’ addition.</p><p>After all, Corrin was the queen. Her laws were absolute.</p><p>Nobody dared challenge her, and frankly, nobody cared to on an evening of such peace and merriment.</p><p>One of the last couples to join also attracted some attention from onlookers. Two maids, one with striking blue hair, spun in slow circles on the edge of the ballroom.</p><p>Jakob noted the couple with obvious happiness before redirecting his attention back to the woman before him. </p><p>For the rest of the night, the two swayed two and fro, completely captivated with each other and their new position as equals slotted together on the dance floor.</p><p>After so many years as a high-status princess and a lowly butler, the two found ultimate contentment in each other’s arms.</p><p>The glass wall between them came down, not with a deafening crash, but with a whisper.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I want to thank you all for reading! I do hope you enjoyed this story!</p><p>P.S. The maid doesn't have a name. I usually just call her Chignon because of her hair. However, rereading this story for publishing made me realize how much fun it was to use her outside perspective to give Jakob the reality-check he needed, haha! </p><p>Anyway, I'll see you all back here soon for more Jokamu content. </p><p>I love you guys and I'll see you soon. Buh-byyyye!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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